A special education legal resource discussing case law, news, practical advocacy advice, and developments in state and federal laws, statutes and regulations. Postings include insight and sometimes humor from Charles P. Fox, a Chicago, Illinois attorney who is also a parent of child with special needs, and other guest authors. Email: cfoxatty@foxspecialedlaw.com

February 10, 2010

DSM V Proposals Bring Big Changes

The
proposedDSM V, the primary psychiatric manual, is
about to bring big changes. The proposed changes will add cutting as a recognized disorder not just a symptom of another
diagnosis, and bing eating will be recognized as its own separate
disorder. Bi-polar disorder for children, which is a diagnosis
that has increased over the last 15 years at geometric rate, will be
reclassified under a new heading such as "temper dsyregulation disorder."
Perhaps one of the most controversial changes will be that Aspergers and PDD-NOS will officially fall within the
heading autism spectrum disorder. The most welcome change will be that
the term mental retardation will be retired and the new term will be
intellectual disability. The criteria to meet this new diagnosis will
also be refined for more accurate diagnosis. Overall the DSM V will
downplay the checklist means of diagnosis and will instead
emphasize qualitative considerations that are more specific to the individual.
The public and professionals will be able to comment on the proposals until April 20, 2010.

I will
be posting my own commentary on the blog and at the DSM website, but I wanted
to get this up and publicized with the immediacy it deserves.